Coping with Loss with Little Bereavement Leave

A report on MSNBC discusses the challenges of coping with a loss and balancing work committments. Many employers offer limited bereavement leave. From the article:

"Some workers don’t even have access to any type of paid leave when a death occurs. According to a 2007 study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 69 percent of workers in the private sector get paid funeral leave. Among companies with 100 employees or more, the number rises to 81 percent, while only 57 percent of small businesses with work forces of under 100 provide funeral leave.
When they do get it, two to three days of paid bereavement leave is the norm for most U.S. businesses and there are no signs that will be changing any time soon. 'That’s the rule of thumb,' says Peter Ronza, compensation and benefits manager with the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., and an expert with the Society for Human Resource Management.

"But is it enough?

"'Three days is a tragedy,' says Russell Friedman, author of 'The Grief Recovery Handbook' and executive director of the Grief Recover Institute. 'Some companies are extraordinary and have big hearts when it comes to giving time off after a death, but many are stuck in the dark ages.'
Workers need at least a week, he says, to deal with all the logistics surrounding a death and burial, especially given many of us don’t live near our loved ones these days. Not to mention, he adds, that people need time to grieve the loss because they won’t be as productive right after the death of someone close."

The article suggests finding out what your company's bereavement leave policy is now, before you need it. Check out the message boards for this article to see what other people are saying. And if you are dealing with a loss while still needing to work, the article offers this advice:

• Grief breaks. Take snippets of time away from you desk to cry, or to have time to recoup.


• Get a phone or e-mail pal. Connect with someone you know and trust and tell them if you’re hurting, or having a particularly hard day. Don’t let the feelings build up inside.


• Get writing. You don’t have to start a journal. Just write out your thoughts from time to time, especially if you don’t have someone to communicate with while you’re at work.